Incoming California governor condemns shootings

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on a shooting at a bar in Southern California (all times local):

Borderline Bar & Grill Shooting / Photo: MGN

1:10 p.m.

California's incoming Democratic governor has condemned the politicians and gun advocates who he says have normalized mass shootings in America.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom made his first public remarks after winning office Tuesday and dedicated much of his time to the shooting in a country music bar in Southern California that killed 12 people.

He said people need to know the facts of the California case but said he was talking generally about shootings in the U.S. Last month, a shooter opened fire at a synagogue in Pennsylvania, killing 11.

Newsom is a strong supporter of gun control, and said he has no sympathy for firearm advocates who resist what he calls common-sense regulations.

He blamed the country's "gun culture" and said mass shootings do not happen anywhere else on "Planet Earth."

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12:50 p.m.

U.S. Defense Department spokeswoman Jessica Maxwell says the former Marine who killed 12 people at a Southern California bar and grill received an honorable discharge.

The Marine Corps has said 28-year-old Ian David Long was deployed to Afghanistan for seven months, from Nov. 16, 2010, to June 14, 2011.

He was in the Marines from August 2008 until March 2013, serving as a machine gunner and earning the rank of corporal in August 2011.

The Marine Corps says Long earned several awards, including a Combat Action Ribbon and a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal.

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Third Marine Division in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Authorities say Long opened fire during college night at a Thousand Oaks country music bar on Wednesday night, killing 12 and sending hundreds fleeing before apparently taking his own life.

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12:25 p.m.

California State University, Northridge, says in a statement the gunman in the Thousand Oaks mass shooting was once a student.

The university says 28-year-old Ian David Long last attended the university in 2016. The statement has no further details.

Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean identified Long as the gunman who killed 12 people at the Borderline Bar and Grill late Wednesday. The sheriff says Long also was found dead and is believed to have killed himself.

Long was also a former Marine and had been divorced.

Court records show he married in 2009, separated in 2011 and was divorced in 2013.

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12:15 p.m.

"Sister Sister" actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and her husband say their 18-year-old niece was among those killed in the Southern California mass shooting.

The actress and her husband Adam Housely confirmed Thursday that Alaina Housely was killed in the shooting at Borderline Bar & Grill in the city of Thousand Oaks.

They say their "hearts are broken" and say they are "devastated that her life was cut short in this manner."

They called Alaina Housely "an incredible young woman with so much life ahead of her."

A suitemate of Housely at Pepperdine University said on Twitter earlier Thursday that Housely was among a group of women who went dancing at the bar and had not returned.

Adam Housley is a former Fox News correspondent.

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11:45 a.m.

A 23-year-old man has been identified as one of the dozen people killed in the mass shooting at a Southern California bar.

California Lutheran University says in a statement that the family of recent graduate Justin Meek says he is among the dead.

A gunman attacked Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks late Wednesday during a country music dance night.

Other victims identified earlier are 22-year-old Cody Coffman, whose father says he was about to join the Army, and Ventura County sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus, who was shot multiple times in an exchange of gunfire with the attacker.

Authorities say the gunman, 28-year-old Ian David Long, also was found dead.

He is believed to have killed himself.

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11:35 a.m.

Community leaders in Thousand Oaks, California, have established a fund to aid victims of the mass shooting that killed a dozen people at a country music dance event at a local bar.

Officials on Thursday announced the establishment of the Conejo Valley Victims Fund. It was launched with a $100,000 donation from the locally based Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and $250,000 from the Amgen biotechnology company, which is headquartered in Thousand Oaks.

The fund is being administered through the Ventura County Community Foundation and can be found on its website at https://vccf.org/

A hearse carrying the body of a Southern California sheriff's deputy slain in a mass shooting has arrived at the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office.

Thousands of people stood along the route or pulled over along U.S. 101 Thursday as a long motorcade escorted the body of Sgt. Ron Helus some 25 miles (40 kilometers) from a hospital in Thousand Oaks to the coroner's facility in the city of Ventura.

Law enforcement officers and firefighters saluted at attention and crowds of area residents gathered along streets. County helicopters flew overhead.

Helus was shot multiple times as he and a California Highway Patrol officer exchanged gunfire with a man who attacked staff and patrons at a Thousand Oaks bar where a country music dance event was underway Wednesday night.

Helus and 11 other people were killed. The gunman also died and authorities believe he killed himself.

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11:50 a.m.

The rock group America says it has postponed its show at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza out of respect for victims of Wednesday's mass shooting at a nearby bar.

The group says Thursday night's show will be rescheduled to a later date.

In a message from their publicist, founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell offered their "deepest sympathies" to family and friends of those killed and injured.

The band known for songs like "Ventura Highway" and "A Horse With No Name" is currently on a U.S. tour.

America was founded in London in 1970 by Beckley, Bunnell and former member Dan Peek.

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10:10 a.m.

The body of a veteran sheriff's sergeant fatally shot while responding to a Southern California mass shooting is being taken in a procession from a hospital to a coroner's office.

A law enforcement motorcade is providing an escort Thursday as the body of Ventura County sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus is driven about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from a hospital in Thousand Oaks to a coroner's facility in the city of Ventura.

Firefighters are honoring Helus with a giant U.S. flag raised by two ladder trucks over the route. People are lining streets as the hearse passes.

Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean says Helus was shot several times in an exchange of gunfire with a man who attacked the Borderline Bar and Grill late Wednesday during a country music dance night popular with college students.

Eleven other people were killed and the gunman is believed to have taken his own life.

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10:05 a.m.

A father has identified his 22-year-old son as among the 12 people killed in the shooting rampage at a California bar.

Jason Coffman says his son Cody Coffman has been identified among the victims.

The victims were shot and killed late Wednesday by the gunman who opened fire at the Borderline Bar and Grill, which was holding a weekly country music dance night for college students.

A Ventura County sheriff's sergeant who responded to the shooting has also been identified as among the dead.

The shooter has been identified as 28-year-old Ian David Long. He was found dead and is believed to have killed himself.

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9:35 a.m.

The mayor of Thousand Oaks, California, says next-of-kin notifications are being prepared about the people who were killed and injured at the mass shooting inside a bar in the city.

Mayor Andrew Fox says it is going to be a "very difficult day for many people."

Twelve people were shot and killed late Wednesday by the gunman who opened fire at the Borderline Bar and Grill, which was holding a weekly country music dance night for college students.

A Ventura County sheriff's sergeant who responded to the shooting has been identified as among the dead. The names of the other 11 people who were slain have not been made public.

The shooter has been identified as 28-year-old Ian David Long. He also was found dead and is believed to have killed himself.

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9:25 a.m.

"Sister Sister" actress Tamera Mowry-Housley and her husband are looking for their missing niece following the mass shooting at the Southern California bar.

A suitemate of the couple's niece, Alaina Housely, went on Twitter to say her friend was missing and offered a description of what she was wearing.

Mowry-Housley responded by identifying herself as Housley's aunt and sought to contact the suitemate directly.

President Donald Trump has ordered that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff in respect for the victims of the shooting at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California.

Trump ordered the flag be flown at half-staff until sunset Saturday at the White House and on all public buildings, military posts, naval stations and aboard all U.S. naval vessels.

He also directed the flag to be flown at half-staff at all U.S. embassies and military bases and naval stations abroad.

Authorities say a hooded gunman dressed in all black opened fire Wednesday night at the Southern California bar, killing 12 people and sending hundreds fleeing in terror.

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7:59 a.m.

Authorities hope a search of a gunman's home will provide information about the motive for a shooting that killed 12 people at a Southern California bar.

Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean says Ian David Long first shot a security guard, other staff near the door and then patrons late Wednesday in the city of Thousand Oaks.

The sheriff says there's no indication he specifically targeted employees, but he expects to learn more when a search warrant is served at Long's home in the nearby community of Newbury Park.

Deputies and FBI agents on Thursday morning were at a modest single family home believed be Long's in a neighborhood of houses with well-manicured lawns.

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7:40 a.m.

Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean says the gunman who killed 12 people at a Southern California bar used a pistol.

Dean says 28-year-old Ian David Long was armed with a Glock 21, a .45-caliber handgun designed to hold 10 rounds plus one in the chamber.

But the sheriff says the gun had an extended magazine that is illegal in California. The sheriff says he does not know how many rounds that magazine can hold.

The gunman attacked staff and patrons at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks late Wednesday.

The bar west of Los Angeles was holding a weekly country music dance night that attracts area college students.

One of those killed was sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus, who was cut down when he tried to enter the club with Highway Patrol officers responding to the gunfire. The others killed have not been identified.

One other person suffered a gunshot wound and as many as 15 others suffered minor injuries from jumping out windows and diving under tables.

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7:10 a.m.

Authorities have identified the suspect in a mass shooting at a Southern California bar as 28-year-old Ian David Long.

Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean says Long is believed to have killed himself late Wednesday at the Borderline Bar and Grill in the city of Thousand Oaks.

Dean says his department had several previous contacts with the former Marine including a call to his home in April, when deputies found him acting irate and irrationally.

The sheriff says a mental health crisis team was called at that time and concluded that Long did not need to be taken into custody.

Dean says the other prior encounters were a traffic accident and an incident when he was the victim of a battery at a bar.

Long was found dead in the Borderline Bar and Grill after 12 people were shot to death late Wednesday.

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6:50 a.m.

The Southern California bar where a gunman killed 12 people says on its website that it's been in operation for more than 25 years.

The Borderline Bar and Grill says it has the largest country dance hall and live music venue in Ventura County, which is north of Los Angeles.

The bar was holding its regular "College Country Nights" Wednesday night when the gunman dressed in black opened fire inside the bar.

The bar includes a large dance hall with a stage and a pool room along with several smaller areas for eating and drinking.

It is popular with students from nearby California Lutheran University who enjoy country music.

It is also close to several other universities, including California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, Pepperdine University in Malibu and Moorpark College in Moorpark.

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6:20 a.m.

California Lutheran University has canceled classes following a shooting at nearby bar where some of the college's students were attending a country music dance night.

The Cal Lutheran website says the university community is invited to gather Thursday at the school's chapel.

The university is a short drive from the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks where authorities say a gunman killed 12 people, including a sheriff's sergeant, Wednesday night. The gunman was also found dead.

Cal Lutheran has more than 3,000 undergraduate students and more than 1,300 graduate students.

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6 a.m.

The Borderline Bar & Grill is about a 10-minute drive from California Lutheran University, where students started receiving messages about the shooting right after it started.

Cal Lutheran student body president Nick Steinwender told KTLA-TV he and his roommate went to the scene to offer rides back to campus and moral support and there were already other students from the university there.

Steinwender says "it just feels like it's an attack on our community."

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5:15 a.m.

A law enforcement official says authorities have identified the gunman and the handgun he used to kill 12 people at a Southern California bar.

The official told The Associated Press the man was 29 years old and deployed a smoke device and used a .45-caliber handgun when he opened fire inside the Borderline Bar & Grill late Wednesday in Thousand Oaks, north of Los Angeles.

The official declined to provide any other details, speaking on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to publicly discuss the investigation.

Authorities and witnesses say the gunman wore dark clothing and didn't say anything as he fired inside the bar. Hundreds of people fled, some breaking windows and jumping out of second-floor windows to escape.

-- Associated Press Writer Michael Balsamo in Washington.

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5:05 a.m.

Video accessed by The Associated Press shows gripping images at the scene of a mass shooting at a California bar.

Several rounds of gunfire can be heard as a terrified witness runs out of the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks.

Police cars are seen arriving and an armed officer takes up position outside the bar. Three men rush out carrying a bloodied fourth individual. They try and stem the bleeding of what appears to be a gunshot wound.

A sheriff says 13 people were killed, including a sheriff's sergeant and the gunman.

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5 a.m.

President Donald Trump is offering condolences after a mass shooting at a Southern California bar.

Trump said on Twitter Thursday that he has been "fully briefed on the terrible shooting." He praised law enforcement, saying "Great bravery shown by police" and said "God bless all of the victims and families of the victims."

A gunman opened fire on a crowd at a country dance bar holding a weekly "college night" Wednesday night. The mass shooting killed 12 people and sent hundreds fleeing in terror. The gunman was later found dead at the scene.

Law enforcement said the dead from the shooting included 11 people inside the bar and a sheriff's sergeant who was the first officer inside the door.

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4:55 a.m.

A survivor of the California bar shooting says the gunman was wearing a black hoodie and holding a handgun as he opened fire.

Cole Knapp is a freshman at Moorpark College and was inside the Borderline Bar & Grill when the shooting began.

He says he tried to get as many people to cover as he could. He says he fled through an exit door to a closed patio where he told people "everybody get over the fence as quickly as you can," and followed them over.

Then he says he found a highway patrol officer nearby who just happened to pull someone over, and he screamed to him, "there's a shooter in there!"

Knapp says the officer "was kind of in disbelief," then saw he was serious. He says he has friends who haven't been accounted for.

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4:15 a.m.

Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean choked back tears as he described the sheriff's sergeant killed in a mass shooting at a California bar.

The sheriff said Sgt. Ron Helus undoubtedly saved lives by going in to confront the gunman. He says Helus was the first responder and was immediately hit with multiple gunshots.

He says a highway patrolman pulled out Helus and waited for a SWAT team as scores of other officers converged on the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks at about 11:20 p.m.

By the time they entered the bar again the gunfire had stopped, and they found 12 people dead inside, including the gunman. He says Helus was later declared dead at a hospital.

Dean says Helus was his longtime friend and gym partner and planned to retire soon after 29 years with the force. He leaves a wife and son.

The sheriff says he told Helus' wife "he died a hero because he went in to save lives."

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3:50 a.m.

Survivors of the bar shooting are describing moments of panic and heroism as a gunman turned a dance floor into a killing zone.

Nineteen-year-old Tayler Whitler says she was dancing and her friends were at a table by the door as the gunman opened fire. She says everyone yelled "Get down!" and it was silent for a couple seconds, then she heard "Get up, he's coming!" and people were trampling on each other to get out.

Nineteen-year-old Erika Sigman found herself hiding with a group of strangers, and they were holding her hands.

She says "there is a lot of bad in this world, but there is also a lot of good and people will help."

A sheriff says 13 people were killed at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, including a sheriff's sergeant and the gunman.

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3 a.m.

A sheriff says 13 people are dead, including a sheriff's sergeant and the gunman, after a shooting inside a crowded Southern California bar late Wednesday.

Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean says sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus responded to the scene and was shot after he entered the building. He died at a hospital early Thursday.

Authorities did not say how the gunman died.

Dean says around 10 other people were shot and wounded. No other information on the victims was immediately known.

Ventura County Sheriff's Office Capt. Garo Kuredjian said the first reports of shots fired came around 11:20 p.m. at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles.

The bar's website says its hosts "College Country Night" every Wednesday. Police said hundreds were inside when the shooting occurred.

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2 a.m.

Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Eric Buschow says the gunman is dead inside a Southern California bar where 11 people were injured late Wednesday.

Authorities say a responding deputy was shot and taken to a hospital. No other information on the victims was immediately known.

Ventura County Sheriff's Office Capt. Garo Kuredjian said the first reports of shots fired came around 11:20 p.m. at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles.

The bar's website says its hosts "College Country Night" every Wednesday. Police said hundreds were inside when the shooting occurred.

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1:35 a.m.

A sheriff's captain says at least 11 people — including a responding deputy — were shot late Wednesday when a suspect opened fire in a Southern California bar filled with college students.

Ventura County Sheriff's Office Capt. Garo Kuredjian said at a news conference early Thursday that the wounded sheriff's deputy was taken to a hospital. He could not immediately provide information on the extent of the victims' injuries or if any others had been hospitalized.

The sheriff's spokesman says the first reports of shots fired came around 11:20 p.m. at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles.

The bar's website says its hosts "College Country Night" every Wednesday. Witnesses said many of those inside were college students.

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12:50 a.m.

A sheriff's captain says at least six people were shot late Wednesday when a suspect opened fire in a crowded Southern California bar.

Ventura County Sheriff's Office Capt. Garo Kuredjian said at a news conference early Thursday that a sheriff's deputy was also shot and taken to a hospital. He could not immediately provide information on the extent of the victims' injuries.

The sheriff's spokesman says the first reports of shots fired came around 11:20 p.m. at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles. He said responding deputies could hear gunshots as they arrived on scene.

Authorities are still treating it as an active shooter scene.

No other information was immediately available.

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12:35 p.m.

Authorities say there were multiple injuries — including one officer — after a man opened fire in Southern California bar late Wednesday.

Police tell the Ventura County Star that the initial report came around 11:20 p.m. that a man opened fire at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles. The extent of the victims' injuries wasn't immediately known.

Ventura County Sheriff's Office Capt. Garo Kuredjian said late Wednesday that it was still "a very active scene."

Witnesses tell ABC News that a man fired several shots from a handgun before tossing smoke bombs and starting to fire again.

Police tell the Los Angeles Times that at least 30 shots were fired.

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12:30 a.m.

Witnesses say a man fired several shots from a handgun before tossing smoke bombs into a crowded bar in Southern California early Thursday.

Authorities say multiple people were injured in the shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles. The extent of the victims' injuries wasn't immediately known.

A man who says he was in the bar tells ABC news reports that he saw a man shoot into the crowd.

Police tell the Los Angeles Times that at least 30 shots were fired.

The Times reports that there were multiple reports of shots fired and people hit. Law enforcement and emergency crews were flooding the scene.

Authorities urged the public to avoid the area.

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12:20 a.m.

Authorities say multiple people were injured at a shooting at a bar in Southern California on Wednesday night.

Police tell the Los Angeles Times that at least 30 shots were fired at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles. The extent of the victim's injuries has not yet been released.

The Times reports that there were multiple reports of shots fired and people hit. Law enforcement and emergency crews were flooding the scene.

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